Damage accrual in Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies: data from a monocentric cohort and impact on quality of life

Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathies (IIMs) are systemic autoimmune diseases that can affect multiple organs or systems. Although rare diseases, IIMs are a relatively frequent cause of adult acquired myopathy. Although the prognosis of these chronic diseases has noticeably improved over time, disease activity and therapy-related toxicity may still expose a considerable number of patients to the development of persistent damage, able to cause important disability and to significantly impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). The primary objective of the study was a retrospective analysis of damage accrual in a monocentric cohort of patients with IIMs, by using the Myositis Damage Index (MDI), a validated damage assessment tool included within the Core Set Measures of the International Myositis Assessment & Clinical Studies Group (IMACS). Secondary objectives were to find possible correlations with epidemiological, clinical, immunological and therapeutical data and to evaluate the impact of damage on patients' QoL through the administration of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs)